Hallos!
How are you today? As for me, I am doing amazing!
While I was dressing up this morning, I felt a sort of discomfort in my tummy and I thought to myself: “she is almost here!” My body was preparing itself for the arrival of the monthly unwanted visitor. As much as it isn’t the most exciting thing due to the baggage of crisis she comes with, she comes to let us know our feminine bodies are still very much alive and healthy.
And for the first time in my almost 20years of going through the monthly cycle of periods, I was thankful. Genuinely thankful. Trust me, I have had my fair share of terrible period cramps and all its shenanigans and it ain’t a pretty sight at all. I remember in boarding school, my hospital dossier was always filled with “Dysmenorrhea” – the main illness that always befell me. Without fail, I’d have to be administered two injections on a monthly basis, else I wouldn’t be able to function – it was that bad. The school nurse once advised that I stop coming in for injections for period cramps because it was detrimental to my health. She said I must look for alterative ways to manage the pain such as taking paracetamol at least 3x a day, 3days before the period showed up. I was young and couldn’t keep up honestly. And when I did try, it still didn’t help much. Well, I later found something that worked.
A friend introduced me to a medicine called Felvin; it was a red capsule that became my saving grace from injections. I remember the first time I took felvin when I had cramps and in minutes I felt whole! It felt like my life was turned right side up at last. “Now that I had a solution to cramps, I could rule the world”, so I thought to myself. Life was super good! Well, was it? I made sure I never lacked felvin ever again because it eluded me of what was once hell. It went everywhere with me. Then I graduated from Secondary School and felvin followed me to the University too. It still was at least 80% active in reducing the menstrual cramps, but then I started having another kind of pain in my abdomen.
I never related the pain to felvin or anything, I just assumed I wasn’t eating enough, or maybe I was having the wrong foods and that was what caused it. It wasn’t until I got married years later that I found out that I had been abusing the felvin medication hence the abdominal pain – Ulcer. I had (NSAID-induced ulcer). I can attest to the fact I used to take the medication on an empty stomach or with little to no food in my stomach. Once I felt the cramps coming in, I popped the pill in my mouth – this was my life for a long time. Even when I went to the doctor back in Nigeria for a scan, He didn’t explain this to me by asking necessary questions, he just told me I had ulcer and prescribed medications. I was on one hand suffering from ulcer pain and abusing felvin on the other hand. Ignorance is not bliss my dear sisters.
I am in a much better place now with regards to the ulcer; it is a far cry from the torture I went through for years because I know better now. I have gradually been able to heal my gut with natural foods and probiotics. Most importantly, I reduced drastically my intake of medications especially NSAIDs. With the menstrual cramps, it has been a wild wild ride, but I actually do have better periods now than I did years ago even up until last year. What changed? You may be wondering. Well, firstly, I changed my belief system and then I changed my words (still working on this by the way). I used to believe that since it was inherited, I had to go through life with it – heavy flow and all. But I had my mind renewed by the Word of God and started taking my position as the new creation that I am and started calling things that weren’t as though they were! I wasn’t doing this for just me, but also for my daughter. I didn’t have to live with the pain again because Jesus has died for me to live free.
Then recently, I started thanking God for my periods; I know…, I know, it isn’t the most palatable experience to be thankful for, but I chose to do it anyway, instead of complaining and blaming Eve everytime the pre-menstrual cramps hit. I still do not like the process of having blood come out of me monthly, but I am thankful my body was made for such a time as this. I am thankful that it is an assurance that I can have children and more children. I am thankful that I have regular periods that aren’t as heavy anymore. I am thankful for the gifts of natural foods such as ginger, lemon, cloves, garlic and chai seeds that has in one way or the other been beneficial in reducing the inflammation that causes me pain. Also thankful for both natural and medicinal probiotics and multivitamins that have tremendously helped in healing my overall gut health. The pain relievers aren’t left out because they have been the OGs.
So here I am saying the journey definitely hasn’t been smooth, but I am thankful for this body of mine that has gone through it all with me. I have repented from the abuse I put it through due to ignorance but more thankful for how much it has healed thus far. I still have a long way to go on this journey, especially with the fears and anxieties that comes when my period is approaching, but man, do I surely have a better today! And while I still plan on having that conversation with Eve in heaven, right now, right here, I have decided to not let the “little” pains, discomfort, body changes, acne, loss of appetite be my focus anymore, instead I’ll seize the day and speak life over my very feminine body. And more importantly, to believe healing is a process and it would be completed in my body as I go.
Just know you are never alone if you do have painful periods or any other challenge that comes with periods, we will win this together!
Love,
XXX